Method of and means for feeding sheets to machines



G. SPIESS May 23, 1933.

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR FEEDING SHEETS TO MACHINES Filed Feb. 11. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 23, 1933. s. SPIESS 1,910,506

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR FEEDING SHEETS T0 MACHINES Filed Feb. 11. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 23, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORG- SPIESS, OF LEIPZI G, GERMANY METHOD OF AND. MEAN S FOR FEEDING SHEETS 'I'O Application filed February 11, 1931, Serial No. 515,060, and in Germany February 21, 1930.

The vpresent invention relates to processes and devices for feeding sheets to machines, and, more particularly to-a process and device for the separation of individual sheets from" a pile and the feedingof said sheets individually to a printing machine or the like.

Many of the known sheet feeding devices are operated in such manner that the. sheet separating members grip the uppermost sheet of a pile at the front edge, draw the sheet of! and deliver it to the feeding means. This procedure has the disadvantage that the separating devices 7. can only grip a fresh sheet when the preceding sheet has been drawn en-' tirely off the pile. In consequence of this fact the rapidity of succession of the feeding operations is limited. In order to eliminate this defect sheet feeding devices have been constructed, in which the separating means .20 grip the rear edge of the sheet and convey vice for the separation of individual sheets from the pile and for feeding them to a machine, which eliminate the disadvantages of both the processes anddevices'just set forth and unite the advantages of both. The process according to the invention is characterized in that the sheet is grasped at a front corner or side edge by the separating means, 40 is lifted up from the pile and is led up to a feeding means, for instance a feeding roller, and, either before or simultaneously with the forward movement, experiences a lateral displacement by means of which the front corner or side edge of the following sheet is exposed or rendered free for the gripping operation of the separating device, so that the latter, even before the first sheet has been drawn off from the pile, can grip the next following sheet,-lift it up in the same 'way and feed it to the feeding means, which meanwhile has returned to its initial position, after the first sheet has been taken bver by other feeding means.

It is the principal object of the invention to provide a process wherein the separating device draws the sheet forward in known manner and transfers it to a. feeding device which is adapted to feed in an oblique direction laterally and towards the front, and which preferably consists of a suction feedmg roller which in addition to its rotational feeding movement also executes a lateral to and fro movement. During the first part of the lateral to'and fro movement, the sheet is fed forward with regard to the pile on which it still partly rests, and is laterally displaced. The second part of the movement of the feeding roller i. e. the return movement, takes place without any feeding action after the sheet has been taken over by other feed-- ing means. and in known manner is fed on wards thereby.

A further object of the invention is to rovide a device wherein the successive fee ing rollers which feed the sheets removed from the pile in the direction of the feed registers of the machine are arranged so as to be adjustable with regard to their speed of rotation in order that the extent to which the sheets are superposed can be varied.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a construction of the laterally feeding intermediate feeding device in the form of an ordinary feeding roller which co-operates with pressing rollers and is moved axially to and fro together with the said pressing rollers, the latter being suitably controlled. The said roller is also provided with an adjustable drive in the form of a friction wheel change speed gear in order to be able to adjust the velocity of feed of the sheets in conformity with the warying dimensions of the sheets.

In the following. description the process according to the invention is elucidated with reference to a preferred constructional example of a device for carrying out the said process. The accompanying drawings show diagrammatically with the. omission of the parts which are not necessary for the comprehension of the invention, a sheet feeding device provided with a corner suction device which feeds the sheets to a suction feeding roller arranged in front of the pile, said roller being adapted to execute in addition to its rotational movement a lateral to and fro movement.

Referring to the drawings:

Figs. 1 and 2 are an elevation and a plan respectively of a device according to the invention, the parts being shown in the position occupied at the moment when a sheet corner is being lifted up.

Figs. 3 and 4 show in elevation and plan the position of the parts during the feeding operation,

Fig. 3 showing the position of the parts at the moment at which the first sheet is on the way to the registers andthe second sheet is brought by the suction device just on to the feeding roller, and

Fig. 4 showing the position of the said parts at the moment at which the suction conveyin roller has already executed its lateral displacement and the second sheet is brought up to the immovably arranged conveying device.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the adjustable drive of the sheet feeding device,

Figs. 6 to 10 show the construction of the intermediate feeding device in the form of a feeding roller co-operating with pressing rollers,

Fig. 6 being an elevation, and

Fig. 7 a plan of the parts necessary for the comprehension of the invention,

Fig. 8 is a section taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 6, and

Figs. 9 and 10 showing a detail in two views perpendicular to one another. Fig. %1 Zhows a duplicate arrangement for double A main driving shaft 1 performing one revoh ition during one working operation and driven by the machine drives by means of chain 2 a feeding roller 3. From the shaft 4: of the feeding roller a feeding roller 8 constructed as a suction rolleris driven by means of pinions- 5-, 6, 7. A cam disc 9 mounted on the main driving shaft- 1 controls in co-operation with a spring 10 a twoarmed swinging lever 12 journalled at 11. To the end of the one lever arm an arm 13 is pivotally connected, to the free end of which last-named arm a suction nozzle 14: is likewise pivotally connected. The suction nozzle is controlled from the main driving shaft in any desired known manner (not shown on th'e'drawings).' The two-armed lever 12 isso shaped that the suction nozzle is located in the one end position of the lever 12 above one front corner of the uppermost pile sheet. 1

. In the course of a working operation the naroaoe suction nozzle 14 sucks up one sheet corner in known manner, lifts it away from the pile and brings the sheet by means of a swinging movement of the lever 12 so far towards the front that the front edge of the sheet comes to rest on the suction feeding roller 8 when the nozzle after the cutting off of the suction action lets the sheet drop. The suction roller sucks 'up the sheet when its suction efiect is put into action and conveys it forwards until the sheet is gripped by the feeding roller 3 and pressing balls 15 resting upon the latter.

The suction feeding roller 8 executes at the same time an axial movement which is ef fected by means of the following device: On the main driving shaft 1 a cam disc 16 is mounted which controls a roller carrying arm 17 which latter is fixed on a shaft 18 journalled in the machine frame. On the same shaft a bevel wheel 19 is mounted, with which a bevel wheel 21 journalled on a vertical shaft 20 meshes. On the shaft 20 an arm 22 is mounted, which is connected by means of a slot with a pin 24on the axle 23 of the suction feeding roller 8 and is subjected to the action of a tension spring 25. The axle 23 is longitudinally displaceable in its bearings. The pinion 6 is of a breadth corresponding to the amount of the displacement, so that the pinion 7 connected with the suction feeding roller always remains in engagement with the said wheel 6 in spite of the displacement. By means ofthe cam disc 16 the suction feeding roller 8 after it has sucked up the sheet is displaced towards the right hand sideviewed in the feeding direction. This displacement is terminated before the front edge of the sheet has reached the feeding device 3, 15. As soon as the said feeding device has gripped the sheet, the suction effect of the suction roller 8 is shut off and the backward movement commences under the tension of the spring 25. By displacement of the sheet to the right-hand side the next following sheet of the pile on the left-hand side is exposed by a corresponding amount so that the suction device can at once operate again.

The suction device conveys the next following sheet to the suction feeding roller 8 whi e the preceding sheet is still being fed by the conveying device 3, 15. The movement of the upper sheet facilitates owing to friction action the drawing off of the next following sheet by the suction device.

Referring to Fig. 5, a friction wheel 26 is mounted on the shaft 1, on which friction wheel a second friction wheel 27 runs which ismounted on a shaft 28 in such manner as to be non-rotatable but longitudinally displaceable thereon. The friction wheel 27 is arranged within a fork 29 which can be displaced in the longitudinal direction of the shaft 28 by means of an adjusting spindle 30 arranged parallel to the said shaft. The shaft 28 and the spindle 30 are journalled in bearings 31 fixed to one wall of the framework of the feeding device. On the shaft 28 a bevel wheel 32 is mounted which meshes with a bevel wheel 33 mounted on the shaft 4 of the also of the feeding roller 3 and the suction,-

feeding roller 8 connected with the roller 3 by means of the pinions 5, 6, 7 can be varied at will, whereby at the same time the overlapping of the sheets which are being fed to the feed registers. is also varied.

Figs. 6' to 10 show a constructional form accordin to the invention in which the lateral disp acement of the sheets is effected b means of a feeding roller co-operatingwit pressing rollers instead of a suction feeding roller. From the shaft 1, which in this case is arranged above the pile and controls the sheet separating means, for example, suction devices '14, in known manner, not indicated on the drawings, a shaft 36 on which a drum 37 provided with a cam groove is fixed, is driven by means of a chain 34 and a chain wheel 35. With the cam groove 38 of the drum an antifriction roller 40 mounted on a pin of a slide 39 engages. The slide 39 is provided with a second pin carrying an antifriction roller 41 which engages with a rectilineal guide groove 42 provided on a fixed member 43. The slide 39 is rigidly fixed on an axle 44 axially slidable in the framework of the machine' 0n the axle 44 a roller 45,

hereinafter termed the change-over roller, is mounted so as to be freely rotatable but incapable of longitudinal displacement thereon.

On the hub of the change-over roller 45 a pinion 46 which meshes with a pinion 47 is rigidly fixed. The pinion 47 is mounted by means of a groove and feather so as to be slidable but not rotatable on a shaft 48 ournalled in the frame of the machine co-axially with the shaft 36. The pinion 47 is connected with the axle 44 by means of a fork 50 which engages with an annular groove provided on the hub of the said pinion and which is fixed on an adjusting sleeve 51 mounted on the axle 44, in such manner that the said pinion participates in the longitudinal movement of the axle 44. I

On the shaft 48 a pinion 49 is rigidly fixed which meshes with a pinion 53 loosely mounted on the axle 44 by means of a sleeve 52. The pinion 53 thus does not participate in the to-and fro movement of the axle 44. With the {pinion 53 a pinion 54 meshes on the other "side, which is driven by a shaft 56 by means of a pair of. bevel wheels 55. The shaft 56 is driven by means of an adjustable friction ilwheel gear consistin of an adjustable frictiofiiifwheel 57 and a iction wheel 58- rigidly '3 is also driven.

fixed to the main shaft 1. By means of the friction wheel gear the change-over roller 45 is thus driven from the main shaft 1, and by means of the chain drive 2'the feeding roller The feeding velocity of these rollers can be varied by adjustment of the friction wheel 57. On the other hand, the drum 37 is driven from the main shaft 1 at a constant speed but the chain wheel mounted on the main shaft and driving the chain 34 is fixed on a wheel or disc, for instance, the friction wheel 58 mounted on the shaft 1, by means of arcuate slots 59 and 60 so as to be adjustable, so that the change-over movement of the change-over roller 45v during one revolution of the main shaft and consequently during one working operation of 1 the machine can be adjusted.

A rocking shaft 62 extending over the feed table 61 is journalled in the walls of the framework of the machine so as to be longitudinally displaceable and is connected with the axle 44 by means of an arm 63 fixed on said axle and provided with an. eyelet which surrounds the shaft. 62 and is arranged between two collars 64, in such manner that the rocking shaft 62 participates in the to and fro movement of the axle 4 4. On the rocking shaft arms 65 are mounted which are provided with bores at their ends in which the balls 15 co-operating with the feeding the said rollers 67 will {bear on the changeover roller 45 under spring pressure when the rocking shaft 62 is in the required position. On the rocker shaft 62 an arm 71 is pinned, the free end of which is pivotally connected with one end of a rod 72. The other end of the rod 72 is guided by two rollers 73 arranged on the two sides of the rod, which rollers run on the backs of the pawls 74 which are pivotally mounted at 75 on a fixed part of the frame work of the machine and which bear at their ends-on a stationary surface. During the axial movement of the rocker shaft 62 in the one direction, the rollers 73 run upwards into their highest position on the backs of the pawls, whereby the shaft 62 is turned in such manner that the rollers 67 are lifted ofi' the change-over roller 45. Shortly before the end of this axial movement of the change-over roller 45 and of the rocker shaft 62, the rollers 73 slide off the backs of the pawls 74 and come into contact with the surface 76, as a result of which the rollers 67 descend on to the change-over roller 45 which now executes its return movement together with the rollers 67 and the rocker shaft 62. Meanwhile, the rollers 73 run on the surface 76 towards the right with regard to Fig. 10, and at the end of this movement raise the pawls 74, so that the said rollers may subsequently again pass on to the backs of the pawls. The rollers 73 are raised at the end of their movement by a short upwardly inclined portion 77 of the surface 76, so that before the reversal of the movement the rollers 67 are lifted to a small extent away from the change-over roller 45. In correspondence with the risingand descending of the rollers 67, the descent of the pressing balls 15 on to the conveying roller 3 and the return movement of the said balls takes place.

The separation and the feeding of the sheets is effected as follows:

The suction device 14 or the gripper con nected with it conveys the sheet so far forward that the front edge of the sheet rests on the change-over roller 45 and is gripped on the descent of the rollers 67 at the end of the return axial displacement of the changeover roller towards the suction device. During the forward axial displacement of the change-over roller 45 which then takes place, the sheet is fed in a lateral direction by the roller 45 and the rollers 67 and is simultaneously fed forwards. At the end of the lateral displacement the front edge of the sheet will have come into position over the feeding roller 3. The rollers 67 are lifted up shortly before the reversal of the lateral movement and are further raised in the course of the return movement of the changeover roller, whilst the pressing balls 15 descend on to the feeding roller 3 which feeds the sheets slowly to the feed registers. Whilst the sheet, after the lateral registration is being drawn off by the grippers of the machine, the suction device already feeds a new sheet forwards, the front edge of which is gripped by'the change-over roller 45 and the rollers 67 approximately at the moment at which the rear edge of the preceding sheet leaves the roller. This result is obtained by suitable adjustment of the speed of feed of the change-over roller and feeding roller and by the adjustment of the time at which the axial displacement of the changeover roller takes place.

1. A device for feeding sheets individually one by one from a pile to a printing or like machine, comprising in combination: first feeding means for separating and feeding forward the topmost sheet; second feeding means for imparting to the sheet a lateral movement; third feeding means for imparting to the sheet a forward movement; and

means for adjusting at will the relative s eeds of the said feeding means, substantlally as described.

2. A device for feeding sheets from .a pile individually one by one to a printing or like machine, comprising in combination: means acting upon a marginal portion of the sheet onlyand adapted to separate the topmost sheet and feed same slightly forward; an'

intermediate suction feed roller device adapted to receive a reciprocating axial movement and a rotary feed movement, and means arranged posterior to said suction feeding roller for feeding the sheet in a forward direction only; means for reciprocating and rotating the said suction feed roller; and means for controlling the suction action of the roller so as to bring same into operation during axial movement in one direction and put them out of action during the return movement, substantially as described.

4. A device for feeding sheets individually one by one from a pile to a printing or like machine, comprising in combination: means adapted to act upon one marginal portion of the top sheet only to separate and feed said sheet forward by a small distance; second feeding means for feeding the sheet laterally and forwards; third means for feeding the sheet in the forward direction only to complete the feed movement, said second feeding means comprising an axially reciprocable and rotatable change-over roller and co-operating pressing rollers adapted to move axially with the change-over roller; and means for bringing the pressing rollers into co-operation with the change-over roller and for bringing said pressing rollers out of action at the reversal of the axial movement of the change-over rollers, substantially as described.

5. A device for feeding sheets individually one by one from a pile to a printing or like machine, comprising in combination: means adapted to act upon one marginal portion of the sheet only to bring said sheet forward; a changeover roller adapted to rotate and reciprocate in the axial direction, to move the sheet forward and laterally; feeding means arranged posterior to said change-over roller to complete the feeding movement of the sheet in the forward direction; pressing rollers adapted to co-operate with the change-over roller; pressing balls co-operating with the feeding means arranged posterior to the change-over roller, and means for controlling the said pressing rollers and said pressing balls so as to bring same alternately into action, substantially as described.

6. A device for feeding sheets individually one by one from a pile to a printing or like machine comprising in combination: first feeding means adapted to act upon a marginal portion only of the top sheet to move said sheet slightly forward; second feeding means for moving the sheet laterally and slightly forward; third feeding means for completing the feed movement in the forward direction; and means for controlling the speed of the lateral feeding movement of the second feeding means, substantially as described.

7. A device for feeding sheets individually one by one from a pile to a printing or like machine comprising in combination: first feeding means adapted to grip a marginal portion only of the top sheet and feed the sheet slightly forward; second feedin means for moving the sheet laterally and orward comprising a reciprocable change-over roller and pressing rollers co-operating with said change-over roller; third feeding means for completing the feed movement in the forward direction, comprising a feed roller and pressing balls co-operating with said feed roller; said pressing rollers and pressing balls being mounted upon a common rocker shaft connected to move axially together with the change-over roller; and means for rockin said shaft so as to bring the said pressing rol ers and pressing balls alternately into action,

substantially as described.

8. A device for feeding sheets individually from a pile to a printing or like machine, comprising in combination: first feeding means acting on one marginal portion only to bring the sheet forward; second feeding means for moving the sheet laterally and forward, said means comprising a reciprocable change-over roller; third feeding means for completing the forward movement of the sheet; a rocker shaft; pressing rollers co-operating with the change-over roller mounted on said shaft; pressing balls co-operating with the third feeding means and mounted upon said rocket shaft; and means for rocking said rocket shaft so as to bring alternately the pressin roller and the pressing balls into action, sai means being operable by the axial movement of the rocker shaft and comprising an arm fixed to said rocker shaft, a rod linked to said arm, antifriction roller upofi the end of said rod and pawls for guiding said rollers in a closed path, substantially as described.

9. A method of feeding sheets individually from a pile to a printing or like machine consisting in first gripping the topmost sheet at one side only and feeding it a short distance forwards by means of a gripping and feeding device, then feeding the sheet laterally in a direction away from the gripping and feeding device and simultaneously feeding it a short distance forwards, and finally completing the feeding movement in the forward direction, substantially as described.

10. A method of feeding sheets individually from a pile to a printing or like machine, comprising in steps: the gripping and forward feeding of the topmost sheet by means of a gripping afid feeding device operating on one side of the. sheet only, the subsequent combined lateral and forward feeding of the sheet in a direction away from the gripping and feeding device by separate feeding means, whereby the side of the next following sheet is uncovered for the application of the gripping and feeding means, and then completing the feed movement in the forward direction only, substantially as described.

11. A method of feeding sheets individu-' ally one byone from a pile to a printing or like machine consisting in gripping one side only of the topmost sheet by means of a gripping device, moving the said topmostsheet slightly forward, imparting to the sheet a slight lateral movement in the direction towards the side of the machine opposite to the side where the gripping device is located, whereby that part of the next following sheet upon which the gripping device has to act is uncovered, and finally completing the feeding movement in the forward direction, substantially as described.

12. A method of feeding sheets from a pile machine, consisting in gripping. the topmost sheet by means of a gripping device at one side only, moving the said sheet forward through a short distance, imparting to the sheet a small lateral movement in the direction towards t e side of the machine remote'from the gripping device so as to uncover that edge portion of the next following sheet upon which the gripping device is to act, and completing the feed movement in a forward direction only, whilst simultaneously gripping the said next following sheet and moving same forward to a small extent, substantially as described.

'13. A device for feeding sheets individually one by one from a pile to a printing or like machine, comprising in combination: means for separating the topmost sheet and feeding same slightly forward, said means actlng upon'one marginal portion of the sheet only; feeding means arranged posterior to means for separating the topmost sheet from the pile and feeding the sheet slightly forward, said means acting upon one marginal portion of the sheet only; feeding means arranged posterior to said separating means for feeding the sheet delivered by the latter both forwards and laterally towards the side of the machine remote from said separating means, whereby the marginal portion of the next following sheet upon which said separating means are to act is uncovered; and means arranged posterior to said last-named feeding means for feeding the sheet received from the latter in the forward direction only, substantially as described.

Signed at Leipzig, Germany this thirtieth day of January 1931.

GEO'RG SPIESS.

emma 

